Community Media Awards
AWARDS
On May 1, 2025, Public Narrative celebrated three decades of local journalism and storytelling. During this year’s ceremony, Public Narrative debuted the Dr. Timuel D. Black, Jr. Award for Civic Engagement, presented by Daniel O. Ash, President of The Field Foundation, our presenting sponsor. Congratulations to our 2025 Community Media Awards honorees, and thank you to everyone who attended. Your presence and support made the evening unforgettable as we honored the power of community voices and the future of independent media.
2025 Community Media Awards Honorees
Congratulations to the newest cohort of Community Media Award winners.
Studs Terkel Award
Alejandra Cancino – Senior Reporter, Injustice Watch
Tonia Hill – Multimedia Producer, The TRiiBE
Mark Jacob – Former Metro Editor, The Chicago Tribune
Andrew Patner (posthumously) – Radio Host, WFMT
Mauricio Peña – Editorial Director, Borderless Magazine
Uplifting Voices Award
Maurice Bisaillon – Program Director & Executive Producer, Reparations Media
Ripple Effect Award
Eman Abdelhadi – Columnist, In These Times
People’s Choice Award
Amethyst J. Davis – Founder, Harvey World Herald
Maira Khwaja – Multimedia Producer, Invisible Institute
Dr. Timuel D. Black, Jr. Award for Civic Engagement
Elizabeth Todd-Breland – Author & Historian, University of Illinois at Chicago
Chicago United for Equity – Nonprofit Organization
Stewards of the Chicago Independent Media Alliance
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About the Awards
Studs Terkel Award
Public Narrative’s guiding star, Studs Terkel, helped choose the award recipients for years and gracefully led the annual ceremony. Today, the Studs Terkel Award honorees are selected by a committee of past Terkel Award winners.
Uplifting Voices Award
The winners of this recognition elevate the voices of people in communities. They use their platforms, influence, or access to advance Chicago communities that are under-resourced and under-heard.
Ripple Effect Award
This prize recognizes quality journalism that has enlightened and inspired people in Chicago and/or across the country — journalists whose investigative work changed policies or whose engaging, well-researched stories shifted the public narrative around an issue.
People’s Choice, Emerging & Established
The People’s Choice Awards is returning for its third year. This award celebrates media creators of all ages who have reshaped harmful narratives in their communities. The general public can nominate journalists, storytellers, and media makers, and the titles of People’s Choice in both the Emerging and Established categories will be awarded to those with the most nominations. Let’s continue to elevate and celebrate the transformative power of storytelling in our communities.
The Dr. Timuel D. Black, Jr. Award for Civic Engagement
This award, launched in 2025, honors Dr. Black’s remarkable legacy and reflects his and Studs Terkel’s shared values: a commitment to elevating community narratives, engaging in active citizenship, and building a more just and fair society. By recognizing individuals and organizations that embody these ideals, the award reminds us of the transformative power of civic engagement and the stories that connect us all.